Milling machine



H. J. LEISNER EI'AL 50,

MILLING MACHINE Filed June 18, 1943 June 6, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rlfl I. r 6

GM M .S R 1a a e w iv Patented June 6, 1944 UNITED rArE T,.-.oFI-lc1z Sheafier, :NOPthHillS, Pa.,.assignors to The'Hull ,Planetarylflompany, Philadelphia, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania anmieatipmmiieis, 1943, "Serial -No." 491,300 i l l ilaiins. 101. 10-154) This invention relates to milling machines of the general type disclosed in .the followingUnited States Letters Patent: 1;316,71'8,' September23, 1919; 1,507,235, September 2,"?1924;1;899;865, February 28, 1933; 2,008,757, Ju1y '23, 1. 1935; 2,081,275, May 25, .1937; 2,177,319; October-I24, 19,39; and 2,266,338, December'lfi, 1941', and is particularly directed to the provision of means for imparting axial movement to the cutter ior ior restraining it therefrom in accordance withrthe character of thework to he perfcrmedmpon'gthe machine.

Machines of the type-generally exemplified in the aforementioned patents, marketed underlthe trade mark Planetary, :are capable 'of perform? ing a very wide range of milling operations which, however, fall into. two general categories, namely, thread milling and form milling; and as'th'e'cut, ters employed for thread milling have teethtcom forming to the profile of the desired threadbut Without pitch, it is essential that they be" ad vanced axially while operating on the work 'to produce therein a continuous' thread; the'pitch'or lead of which is of course determined'bythe rate of axial progression of the cutter. 011' member Y hand, when the machines are used for formzniill-x ing it is essential the cutter. he restrainedzirom axial movement so it will travelfabout :the work in a single plane normal torthe axis of the latter. These machines are of the --production"'-type, that is, primarilyintended .forrmachinin'g .a 'large number of 'similarpieces after they are oncezs'etup for the purpose and, during their operating c c the r tating cutter is first moved to dept nth w rk, n xt s htly in excess ofBfiO" around a circular orbit concentric with thesurface'tofbe produced thereon, then o'utofv engagement with thework along'substantially the same path'vvhich was followed in moving the cutter thereintaand finally around a circular orbit but inthe opposite direction to return the cutterand associated mechanism to starting position; as hitherto stated, when cutting threads the cutter'is also progressively moved axially during its initial or operating orbital movement and during the corresponding retum.

These several movements of the cutter, save that of its rotation on its'own axis, are 'eiiected through coordinated operation of 'a cylindrical outer or main container within which is eccentrically disposed a cylindrical inner orsecondary container in which the cutter spindle is, initurn, also eccentrically journaled. 'Tobring the fretating cutter to depth in the work, which is held inzfixed relation-tothe bed of the'machlne by a suitable chuck or fixture theccharacter.:of"which is determined by the configuration or the workpiece, 'the secondary container is firstturned in the main container for a predetermined distance so as :tojcarrythe cutter in an arcuate path ,toward and finally into the work until'the' desired depth Of".0llt therein is attained; the main :container then is: set inmoticn and-the two containers revolved as a unit-until the cutter has completed its orbital movement andthus finished the out. Movement of the-main container, is then arrested and the secondary container turned relatively thereto reverse idirection so .ias to withdraw the cutter from the work and afterwthe cutter is cleared therefrom both containers are revolvedas a unit :in reverse direction until they attain their initial position, thuscompletingthe cycle-of the machine.

As will 'be apparent from :some ofp'the aforesaid patents, originally the requisite axialprogression of'the cutter when milling threads was effected by cooperation of a master thread :carried by the maincontainer and, a master nut stationarily supported from "the frame of the machine, with the result-that when the :main container rotated; both containers as well as the cutter spindle:iandficutter-were moved axially while the cutter engaged the workat a rate and in adirectiondetermined by the pitch and hand of--the :master thread and nut. In consequence the thread produced on the *work by the-no pitch--cutter corresponded in=pitch and hand to that-oi--the master thread and nut,.so thatif it were'desired, for example, to mill a'right hand threadhaving '10 turnsrto' theginch, a master thread-and nut of similar pitch and hand-were required; It resulted that to-adapt themachine for cutting right and left handthreads ot'differentpitches, a series ofmaster threads and nutshad u e kep ava l bl n as they ar relatlvelyexpensive, the maintenance of several sets for each'machine-entailed a material nonproductive investment, while the time and :labor required for removin one set from and substituting another inthe -machine-was also considerable.

Hence latermachines have been so designed that but a single :r'naster' thread and-nut may. :be utilized iorgmilling'either right or left hand threads of various pitches, rotation ofthe main containenbeing efiected through a gear train interposedflbetween it and the'main'driving gear and so arranged; that the-ratio of the-train may be-readily varied by the substitution of different gears therein whereby 'theaxla'l progression of the cutter induced by cooperation of the master gear and nut may be increased or diminished for each revolution of the container with consequent production in the work of a thread of predetermined pitch either greater than, equal to or less than that of the master thread and nut. Moreover, the construction is suchcthat by the introduction of an additional pinion into the train the direction of rotation of the container may be changed at will to enable the production of a left hand thread with a master thread and nut of right hand pitch and vice versa.

However when the machine is used for milling no movement of progression is imparted to the main container but '.only a movement of rotation, and the principal object'of the present invention, therefore, is the provision of means it is operating thereon, the rate at which it is so moved determining the pitch of the thread and the direction of movement determining its whereby machines of the later type to which we have referred may be conditioned for thread milling Or for form milling with a maximum of convenience:and'rapidity.1'. 1' Other obiects, advantages and novel features of design,; construction and; arrangement .comprehendedbythe invention are hereinafter more particularly described oriwill be apparent to those skilled in the artfrom th'erfollowin description of .one embodiment thereofas illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section substantially on line l -l in Fig.3;" o 1 Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section on line2-'-2inFig.3;J'

. Fig.3 is avertical section on line '3-3 in Fig. l;.'and 1 g 2 Figs. 4 and'5 are fragmentary detail views in vertical section looking in 1 opposite directions on linea-dinFigul.

Throughout the drawingsthe same characters of reference :are employed to designate the same parts, and only. so mHChZOf-thOSG parts of the machine not directly aifected by or concerned with the-present invention are shown as is requisite for its ready comprehension.

In' its commercial embodiment the milling 'machine for operative combination and association with which the'presentinvention is primarily intended comprises, among other things, a unitary frame provided with cylindrical horizontally aligned longitudinally spaced container housings 2 (only one of which is fragmentaril shown) through which extends a hollow cylindrical main container 3' journaled on suitable bearings i in the housing...Asecondarycontainer '5 is eccentrically mounted for limited rotation within the main container and within and eccentrically journaled in the secondary container is a longitudinally extending cutter spindle 6 which at its forward end beyond the adjacent housing and containers supports the'cutter and'at-its rearend, also extending beyond thecontainers, -is supplied with driving mechanism (not shown) -whereby it maybe driven independentlylof the containers to efiect axial rotation of the cutter. V F Means (not shown) are also provided for imparting to the secondary container limitedvrotative movement within the main container for-the purpose of. moving-the cutter to depth in the work and for subsequently rotating it in reverse directionto clearit therefrom upon completion of the cutting operation,:as ell as means for rotating themain and secondar containers as a unit afterthe cutter. has been moved to. depth so as to.carry it in an orbital path around the work forslightly more than a; single revolution andenable ittoperform its duty thereon while ,hand. 7 This rate and direction of progression are controlled in the following manner.

'At a suitable point between the housings in which it is journaled the main container is surrounded by a, band I0 constrained to turn with the container by a, key N. At one end, for convenien'ce termed the inner end, the band is provided with a radial flange l3 having gear .teeth M on, its periphery. 4

In part surrounding and in .part extending radially from the. main container is at gearhousing, enerally designated I 6, which is desirably made in three sections, namely,.a lower generally semi-annular section ll which extends sub-' stantially half way. around the container, an intermediate section l8 having a portion comple: mental to the lower section extending substantially around the other half of the container andalso a radially extending portion, and an upper section or cap I 9 seating thereon, the lower section being attached to the correspondingpart of the intermediate section by countersunk bolts 20 and the cap to its radially extending portion byother countersunk bolts Zlshims 22 being preferably disposed between the lower and intermediate sections to facilitate compensation for wear. The intermediate section is so formed as to inrpart abut the endofthe adjacent container housing 2 and is secured to the latter by countersunk bolts 23, and the lower section I! may also be similarly bolted thereto s'o that both sections are rigidly supported thereon; to facilitate adjustment a suitable clearance may be pro vided about the bolts. l I 1' The cap 19 and upper par-tof the intermediate section-l8 of housing I6 are hollow and the outer endlwall of the cap, designated as 24, is sufficiently heav to' form a. support for certain elements hereinafter described; adjacent the main container the corresponding wall of section I8 is suitably thickened and provided w'ith an internal thread 25 while the lower 'sectio'n li is also similarly internally threaded so that when the parts are assembled a continuous thread extends about and in radially spaced relation toithe main containerto' form the master nut designated generally as 26. J This internal thread is-cooperative with an ex ternal master thread 30 on 'a master ring 32;disposedwithin thread 25 and surrounding the outer end ofzband l0, the internal diameter "of the ring being somewhat greater than vthe outer diameter of the band so there is an-appreciable clearance33.betweenlthese parts. t T 6 Between the inner end of ring 32 land-the outer face of flange I 3 is a driving ring 34 which seats snugly'but rotatably onthe band and .hasla ra- .diaLfiange with gear teeth 35 onitsLperiph'e'ry; the pitch diameter .of "these teeth being prefer. ably equal to that of teeth I4. This ring has. a circumferentially spaced series v:of holes J36 in its essence outer'f ace into which extenddriving pins '31 fixed in ring 3 2 but of; less diameter than the holes so seated against theouter faces of ring 32 and band l and secured to the latter by countersunk bolts 40. It will thus be apparent that when ring 34 is turned on band In it will cause a similar turning movement of master ring 32 through the driving connection-effected .betweenthese rings by pins 31,-,and reference willnowbe made to the means throughgwhich this turning is brought about I when required. a

in the intermediate section l8 of housing IS a gear42 in constant mesh with teeth l4 on band is suitably mounted on a shaft .43 and a gene erallysimilar gear 44 is correspondingly arranged o a shaft 43 in the same portion of the housing to constantly mesh with teeth on ring 34, these gears being preferably of the samesize. In.- terposed between them are two pinions 45, 46 which are primarily supported from a stud shaft 50 adjustably secured to the housing cap wall 24 in the manner now to be described to permit the substitution of pinions of different sizes to vary the ratio of the drive and thus the relative rate of revolution of master ring 32 and main container 3.

To this end shaft 50 is extended through an opening 5|, conveniently of generally rectangula-r shape, in the wall of the housing and proe vided with a radial flange 50'which abuts a plate 52 disposed against the inner face of said wall and surrounding the shaft. this plate being pref erably thickened proximate the latter so as to extend into the opening and increase its hearing area on the shaft. On the outside of the housing a heavy washer53 is disposed and the extremity of the shaft is threaded and provided with a nut 54, the washer and plate being of sufficient size to overlieall or a suitable portion of the rim of the opening in any position of the shaft therein, so that by setting up on the nut the shaft may be clamped in place after it has been moved about in the, opening to properly mesh the pinions with the gears.

In accordance with our-invention means are provided for throwing pinion into and out of mesh with gear 44 so as to establish the'drive through the train and thus condition the machine ior thread milling or to interrupt that drive and thus condition it for form milling, said means moreover being of a character to facilitate substitution with maximum convenience of pinions of different diameters as aforesaid whereby to vary the ratio of the drive. v

To this end a bushing 55 is rotatably mounted on the shaft between flange and a collar 56 detachably secured, as by a taper pin 51, at the other end of the shaft and onthis bushing is slidably mounted a clutch sleeve 60 having clutch teeth GI, 62 at its opposite ends.

The teeth BI areadapted to mesh in depressions'63 in the inner face of plate 52 when the sleeve is slid on the bushing for a sufiicient distance to the right from the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby locking the sleeve to the plate and preventing it from turning relatively to the bushing; in like manner teeth 62 at the inner end of the sleeve are adapted to mesh in depressions in the forward face of a pinion collar 64 seating on the bushing which is preferably reduced in diemit er at tbisnointto form a shoulder limitin movement ei her c llar. ro lar isadanted to: remerablv unport p nio 45 and to this end may. be: rovi ed with. a neriphe 7. 'eeiyeble in, a correspond n ;v ca ei the orward iaceiofthc ni ienvwhilh ishe d i position bra nut d5 ti ced d on o "t e -.end of zt eub W il alter 1 6 preve ts th pin n fro the eellarthe sleeve is in the nesi en i-i i l cked t the col ar-a d nin qn cel ar. and c tshslee eth re qre estate 171% eneral similar .51s rev blr supported the s ee e be ng held: hvarut 55 a ain arad a anee-6.0:tberea t ey preon seating in a recess in its front en esr ta ien of the p ni n n: "la er :is pr i ed. e ween th fla.

. t er p a eros e 19m 1y nwardly dire t d bo ses ien .fa ve etc v nvastud e.,.. H Bearded. tr an e ten i n 5 at pl W5 the z ev lr a ue putwerd y hroug a I le 15i thebousing a Th s b shiftin tbe er rcm th nqs t er ill n... to the a pos te ex rem t at its t ave t. at teethfi meshedw th th depressic s i la he' sl e e be lock d t9 the letter and c -ase nst ro t on. and-t9 elea a lyi na nta nt e erer in i .er :o it We im t-resp nse pl te 8.0 'Vcarry ne-s n sr e ed hal s be mo nted entice ns he lev i g r vided w th a .denressicn for resi W heith r Q hemr r t 1.1 new e a par nt that wh n nerar s i fi h o it on 5 .9%! the dlf'fi i itlgsl md the main container is turned in the direction of "the ar w in F .3, maste r g ll urn in a similar direction in fixed master nut--26 and by cooperation therewith will'causethei QQntainer, band In, drivering 34, master ring 32 and'collar 39 to. move axially relatively to house inss. 2 and thereby correspondin ly mo ing the-cutter and cutter spindle 6 axially of the o a a rate de r ine wbythe relati e rate of revolution of drive ring 34 and master ring 32 h h, in t s'd te ined by -the coin-v position of the gear train interposed between theserings. Usinga no-pitch cutter, a thread therefore will be formed in the work having a pitch cor-responding to the axial progression of the c ntainer per unit f revolution a d" the pitch may therefore be greater than, equal to or less than that of the master thread andnut. For example, when the ratio ofpinions 45, .146 is 1:1, the pitch of the thread produced will be the same as that'of the master thread, but when their ratio is as5:3,as shown, its pitch will be greater than that orthe master thread, and should their ratio be as 3:5'it will be corree spondingly less. Also by introducing another pinion into the train, suitably supported on a shaft removably secured to the housing, the direction of axial progression of the container my of plate 52 and disengage teeth 62 from collar 64. Pinion 46 then merely idles when gear 42 oper t orm in the.;:nut:.-

revolves but no motion is communicated to pin-- ion- .45 which; togethe'r with gear 44; drives ring M' and master ring M -remains stationary although main container 3' and its attached band l and gear 42* are free to turn; i The container ca therefore" revolve 5 when" and as required" to carry the tool around the work uunng the cutting portion r Y the cycle andf ito re'tum it 'to initial position after the cutds completedand the tool retracted from the 'work"' inthe performance of form'milli'ng; C0nsequently'--a-ma chine constructed in accordance with --6ur inve'ntion can be] conditioned" for thread" milling or for form milling and vice versa when desired by merely shiftirig lever 13- from onelimit' position to the othen 'j l It will further be apparent that it is a-very simple 'matter"to substitute other pinions of different sizes for pinions 45,; 46,-it being only necessary to take ofi collar 56 and 'nuts 65, 61 to-enable the pinions to be removed from their operative positions preparatory to replacing them with others, nut'54' being of course loosened and shaft 50 moved about in the'opening tobring the new pinions into proper 'mesh with gears 42; before again locking the shaft in'place.

- 'fWhille we' have herein described and illustrated with considerable particularity a form of our invention which we'inow'fdeem preferable, we

ddnot thereby desire or intend tol imit our.

selves 'specifically thereto or to any precise details of "construction andi'arrange'rnentof the instrumentalities employed asthe same are ca pable of modificationinnumerous particulars without departing f om the spir t and scope of the invention as'defined in the appended claims. -Having thusdescribed our inventiomwe claim and desire td'protect by Letters Patent of the United States: r In a machine "of the clafss describedfla r o tatable main container, means for rotating the cdr'itainen'afixed nut surrounding the container, athreadedring 'cooperative with the nut, a gear rotatable with the-container, a second gear r'otatable independently thereof; driving means betweeri'the sec-0nd gear and the ring, 'a gear train interposed between" said gears including a "pair (if-pinions, ash'aft adjustable to different positions with respect 'to the container, means for holding thesha'ft in' adjusted'position; abushing on the shaft removably supporting one of the pinions, a clutch element slidabl'e on the bushing removably supporting the'other pinion and movable into and out: or driving connection with the first pimonww le'ver "for'shifting "the element, and iiiean's' ior supportingthe lever in the same rela tionltowthe "shaft: irrespective of the' ad-justed positioniofthe: latter,. whereby when said element has rdriving"'connection' with" Tthe first pinion rotationrofi'the. container: isw'o'perative to: turn the ring'sin: the nut? and thereby. causeiaxi'al move. ment one-the conta-inerx and, 'when said element is?) shiftedrrout r; off'said .driving-rconnection, 'bythe lever thering'rremains; stationary a -g dn .agrnachin eof the lass' describedf 17o tatable main container, means for' rotating the container, a fixed master nut, 'a:-;.threa'ded ring rotatable thereon aremovablyvsu'pporting one of the pinions,"'a sliding .clutchselem'ent "rotatable on the-bushing removably supporting the other pinion, means adaptedtosupport the shaftin fixed positiongsai'dl' element having driving connection with the clutch collar when in one'position and locking connection with said shaft supporting means when'in another position, and a lever pivoted to said means for shifting-the ele-- ment from one position to the other, *whereby when :the container'is revolved and driving'con nection is established between the element and themcollar. axial movement is imparted to the container through cooperation of said threaded ring and nut and when the element is'locked to the supporting means the ring remains stationary with respect to the nut and no is imparted to the container.

3. In a machine of the class described; a rotatable main container, means for rotating the container, a fixed master nut, a threaded ring extendingrinto and cooperating with the nut, a gear rotatable with the container, a second gear rotatable independently thereof, a gear' train interposed between said gears including a pair of pinions respectively interchangeable 'with others of different size to varythe ratio of the train,ca shiftable. clutch element, a shaft carryingsaid element and said'pinion's and adjustable to different positions in co nformity with the size of the latter to maintain them r'espectivelyin mesh with the gears, said-element having driving connection with one of the pinionsand movable into and out-oflikeconnection with the other pinion, driving r'neans between the second gear and thering, and means'for shifting the clutch element wherebywhen the latter has driving connection with said other pinion the ring-turns in' theSE'nut' when the container is rotated to thereby c'auseit" to move axially and when the element is disconnected therefrom' the ring remains stationary and the container is devoid of axial movement." V a V ,4; In a machine of the class described,""a rotatable container,- a gear rotating therewith,- means for rotating the .container,- a' second gear rotatableindependentlyof the container, a gear trainvinterposed between said gears including a pair of pinions interchangeable with others to vary the ratio ofthe tra nya' clutch element adapted to connect or disconnect the pinions in accordance with its position, a shaft carrying said element and adjustable to diiferentpositions in conformity with thesize of the pinions to maintain them respectively ,in mesh with the gears, -means-for securing the shaft :in' adjusted position, and clutchelement: shifting means mov= able with the shaft.- r f we Y r a -HENRY-J; LEISNERK;

, ,-H;ARRY---C, SHEAFFEE:

axial movement 

